Teen apparel retailer Wet Seal files for bankruptcy

Wet Seal filed for bankruptcy protection on Thursday, following reports last week that the struggling teen apparel retailer had closed all its stores after it was unable to find a buyer.

The Irving, California-based company listed assets of $10 million-$50 million and liabilities of $50 million-$100 million in a filing with the U.S. bankruptcy court in Delaware.

Thursday's bankruptcy filing is Wet Seal's second, following a Chapter 11 filing in 2015.

The difficult market for teen apparel has triggered bankruptcy filings by high-profile retailers such as American Apparel and Aeropostale  in recent years as they struggle to cope with competition, declining mall traffic as well as changing spending habits of young people.

The Wall Street Journal last week reported that Wet Seal would close all of its stores after it was unable to find fresh capital or a buyer.